Powder Room in Antique Italian Style

I simply love the way this powder room turned out- simple, easy to maintain, and beautiful. In a new construction brownstone in the city, we designed a main floor powder room with these gorgeous tiles from Chadwicks International Surfaces, located here in Libertyville. The bottom 3 feet of the wall were covered in larger limestone slabs and then capped with the beautiful bull nose and laser cut tiles. We left the edges between the slabs a little rough, so that it appeared as if the walls had been there forever. A floating limestone counter held a bronze sink. The simple roman shade's pattern, a rich Kravet silk, perfectly mimicked the pattern in the tiles on the wall. An iron mirror and iron sconces completed the powder room's main elements. The walls were done in an ivory venetian plaster treatment. Small decorative bronze tiles added interest to the limestone floor. Now we just need to find the perfect soap dispenser and hand towels to compliment the room's elegant features.

Bistro Shelves get a Makeover

I am ready for a change on the bistro shelves on my kitchen island. Since Christmas and Valentines, I have kept the shelves full of "pretties" - cut crystal, pretty desserts, silver, glitter, you know what I mean! So now I feel like going a little earthier- pottery, pressed glass and pewter. I found a couple of old jugs and a great little hotel dome at the flea market on Sunday. The old ironstone pitcher has seen better days, but I love it's patina. Knowing that it will probably not hold water anymore, I simply stuff it with vintage linen dishtowels. The pressed glass celery vase holds vintage flatware. The old Plaza Hotel coasters were sent to me by an online store that had purchased a large inventory of hotel silver from the closed and now recently reopened famous New York Plaza hotel. Putting all of these new finds together, I realized I needed a shot of color to remind me that Spring is really coming soon! So the pretty grocery store flowers were placed in square glass vases on the vignette. On the back of the shelves, I placed the round pottery tray with the writing- it's perfect for keeping vinegars and oils from staining counter tops. Please be sure to visit http://www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/ to see other great ways to feather your nest!

March Birthday Luncheon

One of our customers asked us to create a special tablescape for a birthday luncheon that she was hosting in her beautiful home. Since March can be such a dreary month in Chicago, we decided to use bright spring colors to set the table. Sheer rhinestone studded throws were placed over the cloth, and gold branches placed down the table. A collection of brooches were placed in the branches to add sparkle and whimsy. Mixing a collection of different antique service plates with Moroccan tea glasses and vintage crystal gave the table a unique personality just for this special client. A spring border of flowers was placed down the center of the table with a mossed edge. The tall silver candelabra held additional flowers and added height to the table. Gold flatware and chargers were regal, a birthday fit for a queen! Be sure to visit www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com for more beautiful tablescapes.

Masquerade for a Good Cause

I spent the weekend antiquing and making masks and props for an upcoming fundraiser in May. I am not sure which I enjoy most, the antiquing or the joy of using my glue gun and Mod Podge! But it was fun to find little bits of trim, feathers and trinkets that I could use on the masks. Since this upcoming masquerade ball is going to be an elegant affair, I used Venice as an inspiration for my collection of masks and props. Covering old World Books with Venice Carnivale sheet music and pictures of party goers in full costume, I used the books to prop my masks. Decoupaging the dress maker form with Italian song graphics, I added a tulle skirt to the costume for the ivory lace mask. I am not sure how all of this is going to come together, but I will keep you posted!

Desserts under Glass

Romancing the Home customers have always been fond of little vignettes under glass. Selling everything from large cloches, terrariums and now dessert cloches, customers can create their own miniature world under glass. However dessert cloches have become very popular with our foodies. A set of 4 sweet little dessert cloches are etched with divine, decadent, delicious and delightful. Tall venetian style cloches work perfectly for a tall stack of freshly baked cookies! We even have rectangular cloches for loaves of breads- and the list continues to grow. One of my favorite cloches was found on a trip while visiting my friend Marlene in Cookville, Tennessee. She took us to one of her favorite lunch spots and the restaurant owners presented savory treats under large cloches, which they had lettered themselves with First course and 2nd course. It was definitely an idea to steel! Be sure to visit http://www.astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ for more cloching ideas.

Tea Party fit for a Queen!

In the last of our vignettes for the Lake Forest Womens Club review of our new book, Romancing the Home Entertains, we created a tea party on a living room coffee table. Perfect for small gatherings, the coffee table provides an intimate spot for friends to be together to celebrate a birthday, a promotion or just simply nothing! A gold tower held tea sandwiches and berry tarts. The spectacular rhinestone encrusted cake plateau was hand made by Eric Cortina and purchased by us at his Atlanta Mart showroom. It perfect for showcasing the small vase of flowers and the mixed assortment of dainty coffee cups. The beautiful blueberry tart recipe is in our cookbook and was made by my friend Lynda for the gathering. It looks beautiful and very regal in the cut glass compote. The antique silver teapot with the embellished bone spout added a special gracefulness to the table. It makes me wish that afternoon tea was an American daily tradition! We sure to visit www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com to see other beautiful tablescapes.

Pretty Food Presentations from our new book!

Presenting even the most simple food, such as the humble deviled egg, in a beautiful way elevates the dining experience to a higher level. These are some of my favorite pictures from our book "Romancing the Home Entertains". I love the roasted beet salad- roasted beets are sliced and then cut into shapes using a canape cutter and then skewered together with a green rhinestone florist pink. A little shot glass holds green goddess dressing for dipping.And I love the fresh chive blossom on the shot of dressing! Instead of slicing an egg into halves the long way, slice it across the middle and serve in an antique egg cup. Fresh nasturtiums and a little rhinestone alligator add to the beauty of the simple deviled egg plate. The beautiful nautilus shell - is a perfect vessel for berries or flowers. And finally, a simple strawberry tartare is glorious on Love Disarmed Ice Cream spoons and gracefully shares the limelight with a perfect rose. Please be sure to visit www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com for more beautiful food.